{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-statement-legislation-permanently-selling-out-small-0", "Rep. Zeldin Statement on Legislation Permanently Selling Out Small Businesses, and Permanently Raising Individual Tax Rates in Exchange for Very Temporary SALT Deduction Changes", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "House", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) made the following remarks on the House floor ahead of House consideration of H.R. 5377, which would temporarily make changes to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction until 2021, while permanently raising tax rates on individuals and small businesses.\nH.R. 5377 would change the SALT deduction temporarily until 2021, permanently raising the 37% tax rate for individuals and small businesses to 39.6%, and expands that tax bracket to include married couples filing jointly more than $498,000, instead of the current $622,050, and singles filing more than $441,475, instead of the current $518,400. This expansion of the bracket means that many currently in the 35% tax bracket would now be subject to a 39.6% tax rate as well.\nOver 90% of U.S. businesses are pass-through businesses and pay taxes at the individual income tax rate rather than the corporate tax rate, and 99.78% of these businesses have less than 100 employees. Any of these businesses that fall into the now broader tax bracket will be subject to the permanent tax increase.\nYesterday, House Democrats rejected consideration of Congressman Zeldin's amendment with Congressman Jodey Arrington (R, TX-19) to ensure small businesses would not be subject to a tax increase under H.R. 5377, barring the amendment from even being considered on the House floor.\nCongressman Zeldin made the following remarks on the House floor ahead of House consideration of H.R. 5377:\nMy colleague from Long Island Mr. Suozzi and I have engaged in many conversations about this important issue, and I'm sure that will continue after today's debate.\nI'd like to clear up a few things about this legislation before us today to cut through some of what's been debated.\nThis bill permanently hikes taxes on individuals and small businesses to 39.6% for those currently in the 37% tax bracket and for many in the 35% tax bracket as well in exchange for a very temporary change of the SALT deduction only until 2021.\nSo the SALT deduction is going to change very temporarily, but permanently we're to be increasing taxes on individuals and small businesses. We have to understand that 90% of US businesses are pass-throughs. They don't pay the corporate tax rate. They pay under the individual tax rate. Almost 100% of all pass-through businesses have less than 100 employees.\nI support multiple active bills that would change the State and Local Tax deduction without raising taxes on individuals and small businesses.\nIt's important to remember that the only SALT deduction legislation that will ever provide relief is legislation that can be signed into law, and this bill which permanently raises taxes on individuals and small businesses is not it.\nIn my district, from Main Street to wineries on the North Fork, this is bad news for small businesses up and down Long Island.\nI'm focused on providing true tax relief for all hard working Long Islanders.\nIt's unfortunate that at the end of the day, when the dust has settled, they will continue to be the victims of out of state and out of touch Congressional leadership, putting politics over common sense, realistic solutions.\nMy colleagues know I'm eager to work with them to fix this legislation so we can actually get this across the finish line and signed into law to provide true tax relief for hard working Americans.  But unfortunately, that very temporary change to SALT in exchange for that permanent tax increase for individuals and small businesses is why I can't support this bill in its current form... (For Congressman Zeldin's full floor remarks, please click here)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-statement-legislation-permanently-selling-out-small-0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9801390115171671, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}